CPS chief Brizard on his way out?

Noreen Ahmed-Ullah and Kristen Mack, Chicago Tribune reporters

Education and business leaders have told Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard that he'll be blamed by the mayor for the city ending up on the brink of a teachers strike and he may be on his way out, a high-ranking education source told the Tribune.

Several sources said Mayor Rahm Emanuel is frustrated with Brizard and could let him go — potentially as soon as a contract agreement with teachers is reached.

Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton denied that's the case.

"That couldn't be further from the truth, the mayor has complete confidence in J.C.," Hamilton said in an email.

Asked to respond, Brizard issued a statement.

"I am a systems thinker, and I have a very hands-on approach to leading the district," Brizard wrote. "I remain focused on my work with the children of our city."

Questions about Brizard's future come as negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union remain tense. On Thursday the union set a Sept. 10 strike date, but a walkout still could be averted.

Brizard's management style was criticized by the Chicago Board of Education in his annual evaluation, a copy of which was obtained by the Tribune. The board gave Brizard low marks for the way he communicates and runs the district.

"The organizational effectiveness of CPS could be substantially improved with a more coherent and decisive management decision-making process," board President David Vitale wrote in a June 11 letter to Brizard that accompanied the review.

Still, Vitale commended Brizard for a "challenging, but solid year" and wrote that he is "off to a good start in year one and there is significant potential to have year two and beyond be even better."

During Brizard's first year, the district saw graduation rates go up and high school test scores increase.

But two high-ranking education sources said Emanuel is unhappy with how Brizard executed the mayor's signature education proposal for a longer school day and year. In addition, the Emanuel administration bristled at Brizard's decision to take two weeks off in July before an arbitrator largely sided with the union on several key issues, including compensating teachers for the longer school day.

Brizard's introduction to Chicago foreshadowed some of the minefields that lay ahead. On the same day the mayor named Brizard, Emanuel unveiled a hand-picked cabinet for his new CEO. Since then, Brizard has been unable to escape questions about who is setting the education agenda.

Supporters of the schools chief say he's been handcuffed by an administration intent on micromanaging. Brizard also has been increasingly isolated at district headquarters, several central office employees said.

Brizard has often touted his roots as an educator in selling Emanuel's initiatives. Those same characteristics that landed him the job led to philosophical differences with the mayor's administration on how reform should be carried out.

Brizard has been responsible for implementing Emanuel's campaign pledge to lengthen the school day and school year. After initially proposing a 71/2-hour school day, Emanuel ended up compromising with parents and settled on an elementary school schedule of seven hours.

Emanuel's displeasure surfaced in the spring, one high-ranking education official said. Brizard received heat from the mayor for not having well-thought-out solutions on how to lengthen the school day.

Principals, however, say the Emanuel administration's evolving edicts required them to keep making changes to their daily schedule.

Brizard also has drawn fire for high turnover in both cabinet-level positions and department heads. The chief education officer resigned in April on the heels of two other cabinet-level departures.

Brizard came from a much smaller district in Rochester, N.Y. When he was hired, some critics wondered if he was ready to lead the third-largest school district in the country. Brizard did bring with him experience in a large urban district, working his way up from teacher to principal to administrator and then senior executive in New York City Public Schools.

In the performance review, the school board rated Brizard as "inconsistently meets" expectations for management of human resources and talent and communications and collaboration.

"His staff are not sure what they are doing nor who's responsible to whom in most cases," the assessment reads.

However, Vitale's letter stated, "You have worked to improve the communication challenges with the mayor's office and the board in what is sometimes an awkward triangle."

The board also noted that Brizard could more clearly articulate the district's strategy with "an operational plan." Central office employees, for example, often complain they don't know who runs the district.

Brizard was rated as consistently meeting expectations for financial management and community involvement. He exceeded expectations in the "personal characteristics" category.

Overall, the board wrote, Brizard's personal performance has been good "however, overall organizational performance has not been optimal."

The board also complained about not being well used.

When it hired him, the school board gave Brizard a two-year contract at $250,000 a year. The contract expires next May. Should he be fired, Brizard stands to earn his full second-year salary.

"The mayor has not made that determination. I've never heard him say 'I'm done with J.C.,'" an administration source said. "There's always going to be tension because the mayor owns a lot of these issues and has some ownership of them."